My latest book, Baby Blues and Wedding Shoes, was written in the year after the birth of my second child. I suffered from postnatal depression and struggled with having two children under the age of two. There were so many elements of being a parent I found hard, and I discovered that many people around me wouldn't talk about them. It was as if there was this need to show the world a brave face, to be the 'perfect' parent, with shiny happy pictures on social media and never a cross word to or about the children. I couldn't relate to that experience.

Since writing BBWS I have discovered an amazing online network of support, with honest mothers admitting that it is hard, and there are bad days, but that we can all pull through with love and support. Finding that support net has made a vast difference to my experience of being a parent. Writing BBWS was my way to offer similar support to new mothers, while also offering romantic escapism.

So, while BBWS is a lighthearted romance, with a lovely happy ending, the core theme is about parenting, sleep deprivation, postnatal depression, and the impact these things can have on a relationship.

Although I was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, I grew up on the south coast of England, about five miles from the sea. My father moved the family there pretty much without consulting my mother because he had a dream to live in Sussex. The rolling hills, the huge trees, the sea, were all in his soul: and they came to be in mine too. I often write about the sea and the countryside. We ran fairly wild as children, exploring the fields, climbing trees, building dens. That element of my childhood can definitely be felt in parts of Dragon Wraiths, when Leah is hiding out in the forest.

When I was eight we moved to the place I live now (I still live a couple of miles from my mother, although I have been away and come back many times). The land around here is gentle and soothing and I do much of my writing while I am walking the dog around the fields.

I have also lived in Leeds, Manchester and in New Zealand: these are all places that crop in my writing. After all, the easiest piece of advice to writers is 'Write what you know'!

I’ve always loved stories and have been an avid reader since I first learned to read Enid Blyton books. I never had the confidence to write, though. At school I was motivated by good grades and focussed more on English Literature than creative writing.

Then, when I became pregnant with my first child, I started a Creative Writing course to give me something to keep my brain active. I found that writing stories was even more fun than writing essays.
I had attempted to write a novel before, but never got past the first page because I would edit and edit and the story would never get started. The course introduced something called 'freewriting' - writing without engaging the internal editor - and that got past my need to continually edit.

Then I discovered NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writers Month – writing 50,000 words in 30 days). I joined halfway through November and wrote 20,000 words of a novel (Finding Lucy). The floodgates opened. I found I could write, as long as I told my inner editor to take a holiday until the first draft was finished.

That was five years ago. My first novel, Finding Lucy, remains unfinished (due to the early arrival of my second child!) but I hope to return to it soon. I have several others, including Class Act (set where I live) and In Bonds of Love (set in New Zealand) that are on my to-do list.

My sister. Really, my sister has to take the credit. When I finished Dragon Wraiths I entered it in a competition with Mslexia and it was longlisted but not shortlisted. When it didn't make the shortlist I was determined to find an agent and a traditional publishing deal. However Dragon Wraiths is too long for a Young Adult book and I knew finding an agent would be very difficult. I wasn't prepared to rewrite the book, as I felt it was the right length for the story. So, after a few months, I looked around for alternatives and that was when my sister suggested self publishing. I had intended to self publish my chick lit books eventually, but I didn't think Dragon Wraiths would do as well, because of the YA genre.

I am so glad I took the chance. While Dragon Wraiths hasn't taken off, it still sells enough copies to make me feel like an author. And I love the indie experience: I love designing my own covers, preparing books for uploading, seeing my books across all the online sites. I am so excited that my second novel is out there and, of course, my free monthly novellas from my writermummy blog.

The greatest joy is creating something from nothing: sitting at a blank page, letting the subconscious take over, and seeing a world come into existence in front of me. I also love it when someone reads something I've written and has a reaction - laughing out loud, or being moved by it, or saying, "yes, this."

Without fans I'm not an author, I'm someone who writes words on a page. A book doesn't exist until it has been read. I check for new reviews every day and welcome even the critical ones because I want to know if I have made a connection.

I have two or three projects in the pipeline: a new chicklit romance, Class Act, a sequel to Dragon Wraiths and hopefully a novel length version of Two-hundred Steps Home. After that, there are two other chicklit drafts and a fan recently asked if there might be a sequel to Baby Blues and Wedding Shoes, which got me thinking!

I have so many! David Eddings and Terry Pratchett for Fantasy, Freya North and Marian Keyes for women's fiction, Barbara Kingsolver for beautiful evocative writing, Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen for period romance. Is that enough?

I'm not sure about inspires, but my children make sure I get up every day! What makes me leap out of bed with a smile? An unexpected sunny day; knowing I'm going to have some time to write; a new idea for a story or character or cover design; a good night's sleep!

I'm a stay-at-home mum for most of the week, so when I'm not writing I'm taking the children to the farm or the park, or doing domestic chores. I love walking the dog, although I often write while I'm walking - tapping out dialogue in my phone. I like to find time to read or chat with my husband when I can. I cook because I have to (although I do secretly enjoy it!)

The first story I remember writing was about a magic archway under a railway bridge. I've been playing with the idea recently and would love to incorporate it into a children's book. I do have a very early story I wrote and illustrated, aged six or so, about three giants. I don't remember writing it, though!

I design my own covers - with a background in photography, art and marketing design, I love manipulating images and layouts in Adobe Photoshop. I use images from istockphoto and then personalise them.

I read on my iPad mini - my pride and joy. I always swore I would never buy an ereader, preferring paperbacks. Then I got the mini and I haven't looked back since! (Well, when I can prise the devise away from my children that is!)